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The 15 Best Foundations for Oily and Acne-Prone Skin

Chloe Metzger
Devon Abelman
January 23, 2018
Jason Lloyd-Evans/Allure

If your skin breaks out faster than a Disney Channel star onto the music scene, you know how laughable foundations at Sephora and your local drugstore can be. Oil-infused foundations for a "sheer, dewy" finish? Hilarious. Shimmer-packed formulas guaranteed to make you glow? LOL. We rounded up only the best of the best foundations for oily and acne-prone skin — no pore-clogging, face-drying, or skin-irritating formulas in sight. Best of Beauty Award winners like the Giorgio Armani Power Fabric Foundation and the Burt's Bees Mattifying Powder Foundation will keep your skin clear and completely shine-free all day long. You won't even have to break out a pack of blotting papers by noon. Trust us.

115
Burt’s Bees Mattifying Powder Foundation

As a Best of Beauty Award winner, you can expect this velvety soft powder to whip your T-zone into shape. You can either sweep on the velvety-soft powder with a fluffy brush for light coverage or dab it on with a damp Beautyblender for a full-coverage finish. No matter how much you put on, the Mattifying Powder Foundation won't feel too chalky or too heavy on skin. Instead, it will stave off shine and won't suck moisture out of your skin in the process.

$17 (Shop Now)

215
Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation

Every single drop of the Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation is worth the hype. Expansive shade range aside, the way it works with oily and acne-prone skin is incredible. One pump will sufficiently cover redness and unevenness all over your face without the need for concealer, and you won't be left looking like you're wearing a mask. By the end of the day, your foundation will look exactly the same as it did when you applied it — flawless.

$34 (Shop Now)

315
Innisfree Matte Full Cover Cushion

The Matte Full Cover Cushion from K-beauty brand Innisfree feels so weightless on the skin that you'll forget it's there. Stamp it on with a foundation brush like the It Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe Complexion Perfection Brush #7, concentrating on redness and trouble spots, before swirling the brush in circular motions to seamlessly blend it out.

$12 (Shop Now)

415
Bobbi Brown Skin Long-Wear Weightless Foundation SPF 15

Bobbi Brown's latest foundation was made with acne in mind. Spiked with marine sugar cane, the medium-coverage foundation will ensure that any shine your skin may have is intentional dewiness. We love that the Skin Long-Wear Weightless Foundation doesn't oxidize either. What you see on your skin when you first blend it in is what you'll get for the rest of the day.

$46 (Shop Now)

515
Dior Diorskin Forever Undercover Foundation

Meet Dior's most intensely pigmented foundation yet. Buff the serum-like formula into your skin to instantly transform it into a smooth, even canvas for the rest of your makeup. The foundation will melt into your skin for a nearly undetectable finish and won't budge for up to 24 hours.

$52 (Shop Now)

615
Neutrogena SkinClearing Liquid Makeup

This oil-free foundation contains salicylic acid to kill acne-causing bacteria and help control breakouts while delivering a smooth, lightweight layer of color.

$10 (Shop Now)

Read the review: Neutrogena SkinClearing Oil-Free Makeup

Courtesy of brand
715
Maybelline New York Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation

This medium-coverage foundation feels velvety smooth on your skin and won't sink into fine lines or highlight inflamed pores. It also eliminates afternoon shine, so you can throw away that wad of blotting papers littering the bottom of your purse.

$6 (Shop Now)

Read the review: Maybelline New York Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation

815
L'Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation

Beauty YouTubers rave about the L'Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation for a reason: In the event that you need your foundation to do its thing for 24 hours straight, this will do it with a demi-matte finish that doesn't look too flat or too shiny,

$10 (Shop Now)

915
BareMinerals Matte Foundation

BareMinerals took their classic Original Foundation and turned it into a loose mattifying powder that somehow feels like a cream. When swept onto skin, it instantly de-slicks and smooths pores. Plus, it has one of the widest powder foundation shade selections. You're sure to find your perfect match among the 30 options.

$29 (Shop Now)

1015
Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place Foundation

This foundation blends across skin like water, but dries to a powder-like finish so redness and shine are eliminated as soon as you swipe it on. And since the formula is oil-free, it won't irritate breakouts or bail at the first sign of sweat, sun, or humidity.

$42 (Shop Now)

Read the review: Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup SPF 10

1115
Giorgio Armani Power Fabric Foundation

Armani's newest foundation is the perfect matte counterpart to Kim Kardashian's go-to Luminous Silk Foundation. The full-coverage formula will keep you from looking like a hot mess by noon.

$64 (Shop Now)

1215
Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Water Foundation

All you need is couple of drops of the Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Water Foundation on your Beautyblender or brush to give your face medium-mattte coverage. If you need a more full-coverage finish, just add a couple more drops. No matter how much you use, the foundation feels just like, well, water.

$39 (Shop Now)

1315
Make Up for Ever Ultra HD Liquid Foundation

With a medium- to full-coverage finish, this liquid foundation completely camouflages pores, blemishes, and fine lines, and the formula is still hydrating enough that it won't feel like chalk on your face. Best of all, it comes in 40 (yup, you read that correctly) shades.

$43 (Shop Now)

Read the review: Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation

1415
Dior Diorskin Forever Perfect Makeup

Smooth a thin layer and watch redness and enlarged pores practically disappear as your blend. (Yep, it's basically a real-life Instagram filter.)

$52 (Shop Now)

1515
Nars Velvet Matte Skin Tint

This is the foundation for people who hate foundation: The formula is ridiculously lightweight and the coverage is sheer (so it's best for those with minimal acne). But unlike other hydrating foundations that slip and slide by 3 p.m., this one stays matte and crease-free from the moment you apply it.

$45 (Shop Now)

Read the review: Nars Velvet Matte Skin Tint

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